Why The Tim McManus Report Shows Eagles Will Be Just Fine
There are so many different ways that we can consume the coverage wrapping up the 2023 Eagles season drama that was reported by Tim McManus and Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. It was an intense and perplexing read but everything that you hear can always be deciphered in a variety of ways.
This morning as the report broke when “Kincade and Salciunas” was live on the air, many chose to see the report as a serious distraction. Listeners complained that this was “old news” and the Philly sports media was once again trying to distract from what has been a very positive summer camp. I tend to look at the story completely differently. It’s all about how you decide to take it.
Nick Sirianni was a very stubborn leader
Coach was depicted as feeling very empowered by the Eagles NFC Championship run and wanted to have a stronger hand in how the offense was executed. Shane Steichen had departed for Indianapolis and Sirianni thought that it was time he controlled more of the process. He wanted his vision to be realized and did not delegate enough control to his own choice of OC in Brian Johnson.
Jalen Hurts was insubordinate and divisive
Jalen Hurts didn’t like meeting one on one with his Head Coach. He wasn’t seeing eye to eye with how the offense should be run. Instead of working together with his Head Coach, he shut down and they had to have an intermediary in the room with them at all times. Hurts chose to take the childish route and that rift cost them.
Nick Sirianni didn’t listen to his quarterback
To think that Nick Sirianni didn’t want input from Hurts was a ridiculous decision. He thought he had a greater offensive acumen than a player who had just almost won an MVP award and played in huge contests throughout his college career. This strategy didn’t make any sense.
Jalen Hurts improvised and refused to accept the responsibility for his actions
Hurts went off playbook but when things went sideways he refused to acknowledge his role in the Seattle debacle. That isn’t good for a leader and the team was rudderless down the disappointing 1-7 stretch that ended the 2023 season.
My Take On What The Tim McManus’s Report Means For Eagles
So how could I possibly have a positive view of everything that we learned about the disaster of last season? Here’s why I’m very confident in them going forward.
Nick Sirianni has accepted the arrival of two dominating personalities and approaches as his coordinators with class. He apologized to the organization for his failings of last season. He continued to point all the blame on himself. That is the mark of a true leader.
He has never chosen to finger point to the failings of others. He seems to have a re-energized plan. His ability to connect with players has never before been questioned. He’s making the effort to repair the one relationship that seems to have slipped through the cracks.
Everything that I’ve observed from his college years is that Jalen Hurts is an intense competitor. That has carried over to the pros. He works his backside off and is a true student of the game. I want my quarterback to be an intense guy. I want him to fight for what he thinks needs to be done. I believe he will use this failure of 2023 to his advantage. I expect him to never have issues like this again.
Bring on the 2024 season and let’s put all the nonsense of 2023 behind us!
Watch Kincade & Salciunas on the 97.5 The Fanatic YouTube page for discussion about the latest breaking sports news in Philadelphia.
What The Eagles Would Look Like If They Could Only Use Local Players
QB- Bryce Young- Philadelphia, PA
(Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images)
Go back a decade, and the Eagles would have a couple of great options at QB in either Matt Ryan or Joe Flacco, But Ryan is retired, and Flacco probably should be. Instead, their best option is the guy who just went 1st overall. Young is not having a good rookie season. But to be fair they gave him no weapons and no O-Line. Maybe on a better team, things would be going better for him. He was a Heisman winner in College, and the first overall pick for a reason. It is way too early to give on him, and Young may lead this hypothetical Eagles team places.
WR- Chris Godwin- Middletown, DE
(Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)
Young has not one to throw to with the Panthers, but he sure would have targets on this team. Starting with Godwin who has been a top WR for a few years now. He is having a down year by his standards. But he reached 1000 yards in 3 of the last 5 seasons and missed 4 games in one of the ones he didn’t get to 1000. Godwin is twice as good as any WR Young is throwing too right now.
WR- DJ Moore- Philadelphia, PA
(Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images)
The Panthers traded DJ Moore away to get up and get Bryce Young. Simultaneously dooming Young to the Panthers and taking away the best WR they had. Even on the Bears, Moore has 70 catches for 1,003 yards and 6 TDSs,. Pair him with Godwin, and Rashee Rice in the slot, and the Eagles have a pretty deadly trio at WR.
WR- Marvin Harrison Jr.- Philadelphia Pa
He has not stepped foot on an NFL field, but he might already be the best WR from Philly. Harrison Jr has more hype than any WR coming out in years. between his great play at Ohio State and his Hall of Fame dad, also from Philly, big things are expected from him. Pairing him with Moore and Godwin, would give the eagles the best WR room in the league most likely.
RB- Saquon Barkley- Bethlehem, PA
Saquon was not born in Philly, but he moved here when he was 4. He grew up in the area and has connections to the area. it is a big reason why he came to Philly this off-season in Free Agency. This is home for him. He also just so happens to be one of the best RBs in the NFL.
RB- Isiah Pacheco- Vineland, NJ
(Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images)
Eagles fans are all too familiar with how good Pacheco is. He ran all over the Eagles in the Super Bowl and in their game this season. But imagine how much we would love him if he was an Eagle. He is exactly the type of back Philly fans love. Explosive, but also capable of running people over. And pairing him and Swift would give the Eagles one of the best RB rooms in the league in this hypothetical scenario.
TE- Kyle Pitts- Philadelphia, Pa
(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
When Pitts came into the NFL, he got more hype than any TE in years. He has not lived up to it. Just 4 TDs in 3 seasons so far. But in fairness to him, the QB play in Atlanta has been awful in that time. As has the coaching. When we see them also struggling to find good ways to use Bijan Robinson, you know there is a problem. The talent level here is still super high. And were he on a team with great WR play and a QB with a high ceiling, maybe he would look better.
RT- Brian O'Neill- Wilmington, De
(Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
Brian O’Neill is quietly one of the better pass-blocking Tackles in the league. He is second among tackles in pass block win rate (96%). Bryce Young will certainly appreciate having a stout pass protector. Though his RT Taylor Moton is maybe the lone guy he has along his current O-line who actually does a decent job protecting him. But O’Neill still represents an upgrade. This Eagles O-Line won’t be anywhere near as good as what they have now., but O’Neill is a solid start to building an All-Local Line.
RG- Justin Pugh- Holland, Pa
(Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
Pugh has managed to stick in the NFL as a starter for a while now, and there is something to be said for that. He is just okay enough to not lose the job. But Pugh has been an issue at times when in the lineup. In this season he has given up 5 sacks over 7 games. Not ideal. Parents in Philly need to start feeding their kids more meat and potatoes so we can have more Offensive Guards coming out of the area. If only this was an All-Time roster, then we could have put Jahari Evans here instead.
C- Jimmy Morrisey- Huntingdon Valley, Pa
(Photo by Steve Marcus/Getty Images)
At least Pugh is a starter. At center the Eagles had to settle for the Texans backup center who has barely played so far in his career and has not looked great when he did get on the field. But the center options were that poor from the area. In fact, from Pro Football Reference, he was literally the only option I could find from either Eastern Pa, South NJ, or Delaware. All the other Center options were closer to Pittsburgh or New York. And for what it is worth, and even they weren’t great options.
LG- Jonah Jackson- Media, Pa
(Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
Jonah Jackson has played 7 games for the Lions this year and is credited with just 1 sack in those games. And he is the one guy along this line with a Pro Bowl under his belt. They will be pretty weak at RG and Center. But 3 out of the 5 spots on this line are solid. And with what Bryce Young has gone through this season, I’m sure he would take a solid O-Line.
LT- Mike McGlinchey- Philadelphia, Pa
(Photo by Chris Unger/Getty Images)
You can do a lot worse than McGlinchey at LT. He is usually a RT, but he ends up getting bumped over to the Left here because he was better than their options at LT. And for a while now McGlinchey has been a solid tackle. Not a superstar, but dependable against both the run and the pass. And he would be an upgrade over who Bryce Young has protecting him now.
DE- Haason Reddick- Camden, NJ
(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Now we get to the bets part of this team. The Eagles All-Local D-Line is very good. Starting with a guy who was already on the Eagles, Haason Reddick. Since 2020, Reddick is 3rd among all Pass Rushers in sacks. And we have seen him make big plays against the run too. Reddick is among the best active players to come out of this area. He stayed local to play College ball at Temple. Left for a bit after being drafted, but eventually found his way back.
Now he is in New York. But despite some contract issues, he is one of the best pure pass rushers in the league.
DT- Christian Barmore- Philadelphia, Pa
(Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
It took Barmore a bit to get going, but in year 3 he is living up to his potential. It is going under the radar, because he plays for an awful Patriots team. But after an injury riddled 2nd season, he has broken out this season. 4 sacks, and 4 run stuffs are just the tip of the iceberg for how well he has played this season. He has grown into a true 3-down defender, and putting him in between Reddick and Parsons would make for a very effective D-Line.
DT- Sebastian Joseph Day- Stroudsburg, Pa
(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Is Sebastian Joseph-Day a star? No, But he has grown into a Solid DT. Good against the run, solid as a pass rusher. And when he is playing with 3 guys who have star power on the rest of the line, you can get by with solid.
DE- Micah Parsons, Harrisburg, Pa
(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
I can already see some gripes about counting Harrisburg as Philly. But the rules stated are you go to what team’s city you are closer to. So while it may be 106 miles from Harrisburg to Philly, it is 203 miles to get to Pittsburgh. So Parsons is an Eagle. We may hate him because he is a Cowboy, but Parsons has a case for being the best defender, and one of the best players period in the NFL. And pairing him with Reddick will give the Eagles the most dangerous pass rush in the league.
LB- Alex Anzalone- Wyomissing, Pa
(Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Funny enough, if Eagles only had local players, Linebacker would go from their weakest spot, to one of their best. The Eagles have spent years stubbornly refusing to address line backer. But Alex Anzalone would be way better than any guy they have this year. He is in the midst of a career year with the Lions. He is solid across all aspects of the the game for an Off-Ball Linebacker.
LB- Zaire Franklin- Philadelphia, Pa
(Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
Franklin just has a nose for the Football. 130 tackles already this season, with 5 games to go. Nearly twice as many as any Eagles linebacker has. Having these two linebackers behind that D-Line, is going to go a long way to stopping the run, and getting after the QB. Which is good. Because as we are about to see, this team will have some issues in the secondary.
CB- Eli Apple- Philadelphia, Pa
(Photo by Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images)
Someone recently said to me that Eli Apple has been bad for more teams than anyone in NFL history. And it feels so true. Every year he is on a new team, and somehow disappointing people. But he keeps getting starting jobs. Unfortunately, he is one of the Eagles 3 best options at CB. So here we are. The Eagles are one of those teams giving Eli Apple another chance for some reason.
CB- Bryce Hall- Harrisburg, Pa
(Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images)
Apple isn’t good. Hall has potential though. Go back to week 6 when both of the Jets starting corners were out, and we were so sure the Eagles would pass all over them. That did not happen. In part because Bryce Hall stepped up and had a great game. He picked off Hurts, and helped shut down a great Eagles duo at WR. Hall doesn’t start because he is behind Sauce Gardner and DJ Reed. But he has the making of a solid to great starter at Corner.
CB- Daryl Worley- Philadelphia Pa
(Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
Worley was actually and Eagles for about a month. But he never got to even play a snap for them after he was arrested for a DUI shortly after the trade and was promptly cut. Since he has bounced around from team to team, before settling down with the Ravens. When he has actually gotten on the field, he has been solid at times. Worley has also been used at Safety, but the Eagles needs for him are at corner. This year he has been solid in Baltimore. But having him and Eli Apple is not an inspiring CB combination. Hall is the only glimmer of hope at the position.
S- Kevin Byard- Philadelphia, Pa
(Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Another local guy who has already played for the Eagles. Byard at one point had a case for being among the best Safeties in the league. That was not the guy they got in a trade last season. But pickings are slim at Safety, and despite his regression, Byard is still one of the best options at Safety for the Eagles.
S- Duron Harmon- Dover Delaware
(Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
Another guy on the older end for Safeties. But Duron Harmon helped the Patriots win 3 safeties as a part of their defense. He was never a star, but he was solid and dependable. And solid and dependable could get the job done with with the Eagles D-Line. An aging Byard and Harmon is not the best group at Safety. But it is also not the worst.
K- Brandon McManus- Philadelphia, Pa
(Photo by Courtney Culbreath/Getty Images)
McManus was the Broncos kicker for a decade. But then he had one down year, and they moved on. But he has bounced back with the Jaguars. The Eagles other option at kicker was Matt Amendola, but we have still not seen him prove he can be an NFL level kicker. McManus has the track record of a reliable kicker. He is not as good as Elliott, but few are.
P- Ryan Winslow- Maple Glen, Pa
(Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
The punter situation was desperate. They wound up having to pull a guy out of retirement because there were just no good options. Winslow played just two seasons, with a year off in between. He netted 39.3 yards. Hopefully the Eagles don’t have to punt that often. But they made it to the Super Bowl last season with the worst punter in the league.
